Paddy Jackson slides in to score for Ireland against Wales in the Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium. Photograph: Lorraine O'Sullivan/Focus Images

In all the hype that went into the midweek preamble, the expectation was that this was going to be close. The players were never going to be infected by the fever that went with the Brian O'Driscoll-Warren Gatland affair, but they were going to have a battle royal and the finest of margins would settle the issue. This would go to the wire.

It didn't. The Welsh pliers never even cut through the plastic coating. Ireland read the Welsh gameplan and accepted the challenge. They knew exactly what was coming their way, because the Welsh boast is: you may know what we are going to do, but can you stop us? Ireland could and did, and the tightest of games turned into a one-sided anticlimax.

Ireland held all the aces, from the driving lineout to the kicking game of their half-backs. They advanced unflinchingly into their tackles and stopped the supposedly unstoppable. George North and Jamie Roberts made no dents in the Irish defence. It was all very flat, which was exactly how Joe Schmidt wanted it. He obviously is building something very special with players he is still only starting to get to know at this level.

There were no fireworks bar the bangs of the artificial variety, the flares and sparks that welcomed the players on to the field. Ireland made a mess of the Welsh lineout and Jonathan Sexton decided that one particular corner of the Aviva Stadium was to be his domain. From this spot they scored their first try, Ireland enjoying the throw when Rhys Priestland walked the ball out of play after yet another dink into the worn patch.

The Irish lineout worked efficiently, with Paul O'Connell effective on the Welsh throw and Devin Toner winning the very best type of possession at the tail. They chose not to peel infield and run at the Welsh midfield, but kept it compact and tight, more than content to let Conor Murray ape the tactic of his half-back partner and kick.

The scrummage was a mess for both teams, which suited Ireland. They had the advantage at the lineout and a stalemate elsewhere left them chasing their kicks into Sexton's corner.

The breakdown wasn't much better in the first half, except that Wales handed Ireland the gift of a string of penalties. Dan Lydiate, in particular, seemed to displease Wayne Barnes. With nothing but scraps to play with, Taulupe Faletau and Andrew Coombs did well to make a few yards. But the good work of the Dragons led only to handling mistakes. The reigning champions have had better first halves. And second halves.

They needed to start well again after the break. It didn't happen. The lead stretched away and kept growing. Sexton grew more authoritative and the only player to rival him was Murray, who kicked on and on, accurately and tauntingly. Every kick came down with a green-shirted chaser ready to consume the Welsh catcher. There was no time to launch a counterattack.

So many Welsh players took the ball standing still. At the scrum they even began to go backwards. It was part of an Irish investment in their last master-stroke. They changed the legs of their forwards and the new players carried on the work of the old. If anything, the driving maul grew more powerful.

Wales had promised thrust in the backs and had not delivered. Ireland had promised cruelty at the maul and made a perfect delivery on that. The legs took their little steps and Paddy Jackson took advantage of the heavyweights to dart over for the try that finished the job. An impish finish to the total rugby of the big guys up front. In slid Liam Williams to hurt the try-scorer, an echo of the animosity, but no more than that. Wales had not managed to hurt Ireland in any area other than this last-gasp flash of frustration.

Ireland march on to round three. Life on the road at last. It doesn't matter so much now. The rhythm of the championship has been found and the confidence levels will be soaring.

As for the title-holders, this was as sobering as it comes. To have no plan B looks ugly when plan A goes completely wrong. It's too late to do anything now, other than to put the pieces together. But spirits will be low and Wales do not always find it easy to pick themselves up.

Of course, there is a chance for winners and losers to have a rest. To enjoy the moment in Ireland's case; to worry in Wales's. It is the nature of the Six Nations to spring surprises. This was a shock: not so much that Ireland won, but that they did so with such ease. In all the hype that went before this game, nobody ever mentioned the word "easy". It's a word that's going to hurt Wales badly as they mull on this performance.